FLINT, Michigan — In the heart of downtown Flint stands the FIM Capitol Theatre, a symbol of revival, history, and community pride for the city. Restored to its former grandeur, the iconic venue now hosts a wide array of performances, and it is where its President and CEO, Rodney Lontine, and I meet. In its lobby, we shake hands, recalling our prior meeting
last year, before making our way into the Capitol’s grand hall that holds greater significance for Lontine than any of us could have imagined.
The Flint Institute of Music (FIM) is undergoing a cultural and strategic transformation that reaches far beyond its stages and studios. Under the leadership of Lontine, the organization has embraced a bold new framework, expanding access, reimagining spaces, and deepening its commitment to community wellness.
“A lot has changed,” said Lontine during our in-depth interview held in a staff-only accessible eatery. “Probably the most significant change is [that] we’ve undergone a strategic framework.” Rather than sticking to a rigid five-year plan, FIM adopted a flexible visioning model. “A framework meaning [that] the world changes so much, and specifically in the entertainment business,” Lontine explained.
The strategic framework has guided not only FIM’s programming decisions but also its organizational purpose. It's given them “a new vision and mission statement,” with more than 750 employees—nearly triple the staff size from just nine years ago—the institution’s expanding footprint prompted introspection. “When you look at what you’re doing, I think you gotta relook at your mission,” he said. “Your vision gives you the why. Why are we doing what we do? Why are we booking what we book?”
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Anthony Summers | FlintsideInside the Capitol Theatre, Lontine sits and reflects on FIM's new vision and mission on June 18, 2025. That “why” has inspired a commitment to accessibility, education, and inclusion. “We want to be diverse. We want to hit a lot of different people, ages, demographics,” said Lontine. “We want to be inclusive of senior citizens [and] people that might even be on the autism spectrum. Are there things that we can be doing that would make their experience a little bit more enjoyable?”
FIM is doing just that. Whether through lower lighting for sensory-friendly performances or the addition of signage and communication tools, the organization is reconsidering how every audience member can experience the arts. “It wouldn’t affect me as a regular patron,” Lontine noted, “but it really affects [others].”
Another major initiative is the expansion of music therapy. “Music therapy is probably one of the fastest growing programs,” said Lontine. “We started [with one certified] music therapist. It’s wonderful 'cause music is therapeutic and music connects us.”
This philosophy extends to every corner of the organization. “We’re trying to help education and community wellness,” he emphasized. “How do we make [a program] more life beneficial?”
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Anthony Summers | FlintsideLontine poses with a smile inside the FIM Capitol Theatre on June 18, 2025.
One way is through deeper partnerships, including a formalized collaboration with the University of Michigan-Flint Theater Department. Currently, FIM is “reimagining the Bower Theater,” and the reconstruction will include a flexible grid system to accommodate both traditional and experiential performances. This process allowed both entities to collaborate in unthinkable ways.
“Forming a better partnership with the University of Michigan and their theater department does several things. It broadens our audience and gives us more capacity.”
In addition to sharing space, FIM and UM-Flint will collaborate on programming. “We’re gonna do co-production with their students and faculty,” he shared. That show is ‘Lucky Stiff’, premiering in March 2026.
FIM is also expanding its youth education efforts. “We’ve always had student engagement [and] programs like Troubadours,” which describes a long-running initiative that brings music, dance, and theater into county schools. The Troubadours “service just about every public school teaching, edutaining students.”
The organization also operates a youth usher program that often serves as a gateway to future employment. “Sometimes it’s [their] first job,” where they’ve “had people that are now full-time employees come through that.”
Other newer programs aim to remove financial barriers, noting the role of the County Arts Education millage. A standout initiative is
KidsTix, which provides children and families with access to live performances throughout the year.
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Anthony Summers | FlintsideRodney Lontine.
“KidsTix actually creates an account for them,” said Lontine. “We fund an account for them— their name, their money—and now they’re in control of their destiny.” This model transforms participants from passive recipients into active patrons. “What we’re trying to do is create long-term customers.”
The effort has been more successful than anticipated. “It makes people feel part of what we’re trying to do. It incorporates a larger audience not otherwise on our radar.”
FIM is also bringing the healing power of music to unlikely places, such as correctional facilities. They’ve “initiated a recording studio inside the Genesee County jail,” teaching Pro Tools to incarcerated individuals.
The program, inspired by musician Jelly Roll’s visit as part of the Ignite Program, includes music lessons, songwriting, and technical training.
“You’re laying down tracks professionally. There’s intellectual property and they have a real-life skill, a trade,” he said. “They’re Pro Tools certified.” The deeper goal, however, is about more than just music. “We were trying to say, what could we do to help somebody that’s incarcerated? [How can we] give them maybe another path to look at or another mindset,” Lontine reflected.
Through these many efforts, Lontine sees FIM’s role in Flint as both cultural and civic.
“Part of our strategic plan is the health and wellness of the community,” he said. “The city should expect a vibrant culture.” To fulfill that promise, FIM extends its reach beyond its venues, hosting pop-ups at hospitals, senior centers, and everything in between. “Change is inevitable, and not change just for change’s sake, but you gotta realize what can we do better?”
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Anthony Summers | FlintsideLontine discusses all that FIM is involved in and how it intends to embrace change inside the Capitol Theatre on June 18, 2025. To answer that, FIM recently hired international consultants from HaBO Studio to help evaluate programming and strategy. Lontine sees Flint’s proximity to cultural centers like Detroit and Lansing as both a challenge and an opportunity. “We’re in a very competitive market.” But despite the competition, Lontine is energized. “What’s gonna make us unique? That’s part of our challenge, part of our learning, and I’m excited about that. I love the challenge. I prefer when somebody tells me I can't do something because I want to prove them wrong.”
Despite the challenges, Lontine sees the Capitol as a vital hub for cultural life in Flint and a cornerstone of FIM’s expanding influence. The space, he explains, is more than a venue—it’s a mirror for the city’s heartbeat and history. “The city should expect a vibrant culture,” he said. “For years and years and years, a city, for example, was judged on [whether it had] an orchestra because that told [you] the city’s cultural heartbeat.”
In honoring that heartbeat, Lontine found a way to interlace the legacy of his own family. As he poses for pictures and leads the conversation with candor and warmth, Lontine reveals a quieter tribute tucked into the velvet rows of seats: one seat dedicated to his father—Charles Lontine.
It is a gesture that’s both intimate and emblematic of the work Lontine does to honor the past while shaping the future. It is, in many ways, a metaphor for the values FIM now champions: accessibility, community connection, personal relevance, and continuity.
In closing, Lontine offered heartfelt praise for his team. “We have an incredible staff. Everything they do makes me look good,” he said. “Sometimes it bothers me when [people] say ‘you this’ or ‘you that.’ I’m surrounded by a team.”
He also encourages the community to explore all the happenings at not just the FIM, but the entire cultural center and downtown.
At its core, FIM is offering a model for holistic, accessible, and impactful engagement. Whether it’s a child taking their first music class, a student performing in a co-produced play, or an incarcerated individual learning to record, FIM is proving that the arts are not a luxury, but a necessity for building a vibrant, inclusive future.
To learn more about the Flint Institute of Music, visit: thefim.org